Muriel Cotman, 13, of Cuero, spends time at First Presbyterian Church in Cuero, where her father is a preacher. Cotman is traveling to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National S

Muriel Cotman, 13, of Cuero, spends time at First Presbyterian Church in Cuero, where her father is a preacher. Cotman is traveling to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She studies words for two hours a day from her dictionary or online. "The spelling bee will be fun, but I'm also looking forward to hanging with the other spellers and the non-spelling bee parts. But I'll spell, too," she said.